second-degree murder
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of second-degree murder
An Americanism dating back to 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The officer involved was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to seven years in prison.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
In 2021, a Minnesota jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 in-custody death of George Floyd.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Ferguson was first put on trial in March, but a mistrial was declared when the jury deadlocked on a charge of second-degree murder.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025
The second-degree murder charges now facing Mr Gray may be due to specific wording in Georgia law.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024
“I saw Ed McMellon,” Boss would later testify, when the four officers were brought to trial on charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
